This application claims priority to an application entitled xe2x80x9cRoute Guiding Method in Navigation System using Wireless Networkxe2x80x9d filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on May 3, 2001 and assigned Serial No. 2001-24176, and to an application entitled xe2x80x9cRoute Guiding Method in Navigation System using Wireless Networkxe2x80x9d filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on Feb. 25, 2002 and assigned Serial No. 2002-9977, the contents of both of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a navigation system using a wireless network, and in particular, to a route guiding method in which route guidance data including comprehensive route information is provided to a moveable object in advance, regardless of whether the moveable object is moving or not.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration of a navigation system using a wireless network. Referring to FIG. 1, the navigation system includes an information center 100, a wireless network 200, a mobile terminal 300, and an ITS (Intelligent Transportation System) terminal 400. The mobile terminal 300 connected to the ITS terminal 400 sends information including its current location and desired destination to the information center 100 via the wireless network 200, requesting information about the optimum route. The information center 100 searches for the optimum route between the current location and the destination, generates route guidance data containing information about multiple node points, and sends the route guidance data to the mobile terminal 300. The mobile terminal 300 then stores the route guidance data.
Once a moveable object begins moving, the mobile terminal 300 continuously provides information about routes running through the node points in the traveling direction of the moveable object based on the route guidance data in interaction with the ITS terminal 400. Since the mobile terminal usually has a small display (e.g., an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)), it does not display comprehensive map data but an intersection image representing a node point, distance to go, expected arrival time, and the current road name.
With the partial route information about an optimum route, the navigation system cannot provide a comprehensive navigation service to a user because the user will not be able to recognize a guided route.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a route guiding method that allows a user to readily identify an optimum route.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a route guiding method that provides comprehensive optimum route information.
The foregoing and other objects are achieved by providing a route guiding method in a navigation system. The navigation system comprises (1) an information center including a map database, (2) a navigation terminal located within a moveable object including a mobile terminal, wirelessly connected to a wireless network, and an ITS terminal with a GPS (Global Positioning System) device for detecting the current location of the moveable object, and (3) the wireless network for connecting the information center and the navigation terminal wirelessly. The navigation terminal receives route guidance data by which the moveable object is guided to a destination via a plurality of node points in an optimum route from the information center. The navigation terminal determines whether a user has requested a preview of the optimum route. If the preview has been requested, the navigation terminal determines whether preview information is to be provided in text or in image. Upon request for the preview in text, the navigation terminal displays the comprehensive route information in text. Upon request for the preview in image, the navigation terminal generates preview information about each node point on the optimum route based on the route guidance data and displays the preview information in image.